BLACK FRANCIS

Unsure of the future of the Pixies, Frank Black has filled his time by assuming his former moniker and releasing another consistently great record, this one inspired by Dutch musician/painter Herman Brood, who committed suicide in 2001.

Bluefinger boasts the off-centre pop sensibilities that have always been the songwriter's strong point, with generous amounts of abusive guitar, playful up-tempo rhythms and half-sedated, half-maniacal vocals, as on Angels Come To Comfort You. Add an ability to string lyrical and musical narratives together to create a complete whole and Bluefinger should serve as yet another highlight in an already stellar body of work.